Category Archives: Community Events

A big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who worked so hard to prepare the SHABBAT UK Super Kiddush at he BHC. They really put the ‘super’ into Super Kiddush. I have been to many a kiddush in my time but I can’t remember one this good. The range and quality of food and drink on offer was just outstanding. It was not just about food either, many people stayed behind to socialise with friends. Special thanks must go to Angela, Lorraine and David and their many helpers for their hard work.
Those attending shul on Shabbat were also treated to the chazanut of Chazan Alderman from London.
Here are a few photos from the event taken by Barry Sklan before Shabbat. The ladies in the pictures (Louisa Rubenstein, Eta Wainer and Anne Pollard) came in and baked cakes and biscuits for the kiddush and the other photos show the Menorah Suite awaiting the tables to be set for the event.

Here are some photos from the 2017 Challah Bake courtesy of Josie Lipsith, Marilyn Dexter and Anne Ozdamar.

We would like to thank Rebbetzen Pamela Jesner for organising this event, with a little help from the Rabbi. She worked very hard to make it a big success. We would also like to thank the many volunteers who worked so hard so make it happen and of course to everyone who came along to take part in the fun of challah baking.

The Purim lunch at the BHC was a great success. Attended by some 100 congregants with was great fun for everyone. Special thanks go to Angela and Barry Sklan for organising the entertainment as well as to those who took part.

Photos courtesy of Tony Rose, Marilyn Dexter and Barry Sklan.

Here are some photos from Thelma Cowan’s 80th birthday lunch held in the Menorah Suite on 12 February 2017.

Photos courtesy of Josie Lipsith.

The 2016 Chanukah Challah Bake organised by the Rebbitzen was attended by some 40 eager congregants and a good time was had by all.

Because making dough from scratch requires a lot of time to allow the dough to rise, the bakers used pre-proved dough which they plaited and then took home to bake.

Stephen White and grandchildren Sophie and Benjamin Woodward made a video for the Challah Bake showing how to bake challot from the basic ingredients. It is available on YouTube at the following link: https://youtu.be/Xsz9ZqRq9TY

Here are some photos from this event courtesy of Anne Ozdamar.

On Sunday 11 December 2016 the Green Park Hotel was remembered and celebrated with a film and afternoon tea in the Murray Muscat Centre. 130 people watched a private screening of the film ‘The Green Park’, directed by Justin Hardy, written by Jack Fishburn. The film’s producer Marsha Lee is a member of the extended Marriott/ Richman family who owned and ran the Hotel from November 1943 until its closure in October 1986.

During this era Bournemouth was acclaimed as the South Coast’s premier holiday destination, and the Green Park stood out as a leading Kosher hotel, which offered a luxurious fully inclusive family holiday experience in a modern hotel offering service and comfort, good and plentiful food with a silver service dining room, together with entertainment which included many of the ‘A list’ performers and celebrities of the day including Ray Ellington, Eddy Calvert, Lionel Blair, Tommy Trinder, Ted Rogers and Larry Adler, to name but a few. The Hotel, which was located on Bournemouth’s East Cliff, boasted state of the art facilities including a large garden and sun terrace, with tennis courts, a children’s playground and a swimming pool; there were also regular golf tournaments and card evenings. The Hotel offered a personal service, meeting and greeting its guests by name, many of whom returned year on year (always staying in the same room). The owners were also innovative employers who took a personal interest in their staff, investing in staff training and welfare; they were particularly proud of the Italian waiters who received their training at the Hotel.

The film was very well received by the guests, with a standing ovation at the end. Not only does it give a nostalgic flavour of a Hotel of its era, but it is also a very successful social documentary of 20^th century British Jewry.

The audience brought together people to share their memories of the Hotel. The event was attended by some of the stars of the film – one of the owners of the hotel, Miss Judy Richman (now 92 years old), staff members Betty Traves, Mimmo Zacchia and Nino Benedetto.  Also present were many local people who had held celebrations at the Hotel, including Maurice and Helen Kaye (now 104 and 103 years old respectively) who held their Silver Wedding celebrations at the Green Park Hotel in August 1959, and who more recently celebrated their 82^nd wedding anniversary in a quieter way.

Rochelle Selby paid tribute to her late mother Hilda Marks; not only are the Marks and Richman families great friends, but Hilda was also a longstanding patron of Emunah, a worldwide charity which helps disadvantaged children and their families in Israel, providing therapies and counselling appropriate to the needs of each individual, and helping them integrate back into society. This event raised £2,000 for Emunah; proceeds will go towards the Hilda and Sam Marks Counselling Centre in Naharia, Israel. A presentation was also made to Judy Richman in memory of her late sister Ray Richman, with a donation going towards a grant for one of the students of an Emunah home to train in the hospitality industry – a fitting end to a nostalgic afternoon of reminiscing and celebrating the Green Park Hotel.

Text by Anne Ozdamar, photos by M. Ozdamar

Bournemouth’s Jewish community played its part in today’s Remembrance Sunday service at the Bournemouth War Memorial. This year’s service was very well supported by the people of Bournemouth, thousands turning out to take part in the service, including many faces from our congregation. Among the dignitaries taking part were Rabbi Adrian Jesner, Cllr. Lawrence Williams and Eta Weiner.

For me it was particularly poignant to see the flag of AJEX (The Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, Bournemouth Branch) flying alongside the other flags representing the men and women who put their lives on the line for the freedoms we take for granted today.

After the Last Post, followed by 2 minute silence, and under the heading of ‘Listening for the word from G-d’ Rabbi Michaels of BRS read Psalm 23 in English followed by Rabbi Jesner who read the psalm in Hebrew. It was truly incredible standing there with thousands of Bournemouth residents in total silence listening to Psalm 23 in Hebrew and wondering why our synagogue services could not be as quiet.

The service concluded with the laying of wreaths by various dignitaries including the mayor, members of parliament and the military.

(M. Ozdamar)

Another way the congregations of Bournemouth celebrated Shabbat UK was by coming together for a joint Havdalah ceremony at the Hannah Levy House (HLH) after Shabbat went out. Rabbi Adrian Jesner from BHC, Rabbi Maurice Michaels from Bournemouth Reform Shul and Rabbis Yossi and Ben-Zion Alperowitz from Chabad came together to conduct the Havdalah ceremony in the presence of the HLH residents and other guests representing the Jewish congregations of Bournemouth.

The rabbis discussed the significance of the Havdalah (which means separation) ceremony, how the mundane days of the week are separated from Shabbat by this  ceremony and the symbolic meaning of the items used such as the braided candle, the spices, etc.

This is the second year the joint Havdalah ceremony has taken place at the HLH and it was enjoyed by all. We look forward to many more events that bring together the Jewish communities of Bournemouth in joyous occasions.

(M. Ozdamar)

What a busy weekend it has been… Chief Rabbi’s Shabbat UK and Remembrance Sunday have made this weekend very busy and interesting.

The service in Shul was excellent and very well attended. It was all the more special because some of our ex-servicemen attended the service in uniform, proudly wearing their medals under the AJEX flag.

At BHC we had a wonderful communal Shabbat lunch which was supported by some 140 people. The three course lunch, catered by the Ladies Guild, was delicious as always. The star attraction was Alex Brummer, the City editor of the Daily Mail, who spent the weekend in Bournemouth with his charming wife Trisha.

Alex gave a limmud in the Shul after the service during which he discussed the work done in Israel by the Abraham fund of which Alex is a director. The tag line of Abraham Fund is ‘Building a shared future for Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens’. The fund does a lot of work with the minorities in Israel, encouraging mutual understanding through education, ensuring that the Israeli Arabs can access the high quality education available in Israel’s universities and that they can participate in the prosperity of the country. After all, only through education, tolerance and cooperation will the seeds of lasting peace be nurtured.

Alex spoke a second time during lunch. This time his theme was the political scene following the unexpected victories of the Brexit campaign in the UK and Donald Trump in the US. What will the world be like post Brexit and Trump? What would it mean for Israel and the Middle East? What would it mean for the rise of the far right and antisemitism? Alex gave us interesting insights into these questions and more derived from his years of experience as a prominent journalist and a Washington correspondent.

We look forward to welcoming Alex and Trisha in Bournemouth in the near future.

(M. Ozdamar)